General Wellness
Are you ready for a kick-ass weekend? We sure hope you are!
At Furry Weekend Atlanta try to go above and beyond to pack an amazing experience into four short days. Here are some general tips to help you enjoy our event in the safest and healthiest way possible.
The 6-2-1 rule
This is one of the most old-school event rules in the book. The 6-2-1 rule means that everyday you should:
- Have 6 hours of sleep
- Eat 2 meals
- Take 1 shower
Remember, these are the -minimum- amounts suggested. You’ll have an amazing con if you sleep more, have three well balanced meals, and maintain your personal hygiene.
General Hygiene - look and smell like the fine animal you are!
Look, our event is spread out over three hotels (and an aquarium!) with a ton of amazing events that will really get you moving! Make sure to follow these helpful suggestions
- Wear deodorant.
- Wash your hands anytime you use the restroom, have a high level of activity, or sweat excessively.
- Shower frequently
Fursuiters
You’re adorable and we love having you here! Make sure that after your fursuiting session you’re sanitizing to the best of your ability. Most fursuit makers recommend using an antimicrobial spray or fabric safe disinfectant wipes This reduces the bacteria from your adorable shenanigans.
Don’t share drinks or food!
It’s pretty common to taste a friend’s drink, snag a fry off their plate, or take a bite off their silverware. Fight the urge! Sharing saliva, even through drinks, is a major source of passed infections.
Respiratory Illnesses & COVID-19
The spread of respiratory illness has been an unfortunate reality of furry conventions since they began. We’re doing our best to reduce the prevalence of post-con sickness by helping educate our attendees on some of the best strategies we’ve found for keeping healthy.
For the latest information on current prevalent respiratory illnesses and how to keep yourself safe, check out the CDC’s respiratory illness site here.
For the latest information on COVID-19 infection spread & severity, check out the CDC’s COVID-19 data tracker here.
If you don’t feel well before con
Please, stay home.
We understand it can be a bummer to miss a once a year event. Going out and doing anything while sick, especially in a crowded space, is bound to get others sick.
You’ll only make it worse! Seriously, being sick is the only time you SHOULDN’T be going out and exercising.
If you can’t attend due to illness, please visit the registration portal in our help center here. We’re happy to roll your registration over to next year!
If you begin to feel sick during con
OH NO! You’ve made it to the event and have started to feel a little under the weather. If you feel like you’re starting to get sick, (even the littlest of sniffles), your chances of spreading any airborne disease reduces drastically if you’re masking while around others!
We will have a limited supply of free surgical masks placed throughout higher-risk areas of the convention and at our guest services desks for your safety & convenience. Surgical masks are a great way to help prevent spreading an infection! If you feel an illness coming on, please take a mask!
Check out more detailed guidance from the CDC on preventing the spread of respiratory viruses when you’re sick here.
Preventing infection during con
Vaccinate vaccinate vaccinate! Vaccines are the best way to protect against serious illness. You can get flu, COVID-19, and RSV immunizations at the same time. Please speak with your doctor regarding the most appropriate vaccines for you and your individual health conditions.
Wash your hands! Seriously! Keep your paws clean! Regularly washing your hands can greatly reduce your likelihood of getting sick.
Cover that cough! Cough or sneeze into your elbow, arm, or a disposable tissue. Make sure to throw away your tissue, then wash or sanitize your hands.
Consider wearing a mask to protect yourself. You can find the latest CDC guidance on masks & respiratory virus prevention here. You can find detailed information on the different types of masks and their effectiveness on the CDC / NIOSH guidance for community masks & respirators here.
Preventing infection for those with weakened immune systems or other health conditions
For those with weakened immune systems or other health conditions, your doctor is your best resource for advice on keeping yourself safe and healthy. Below are some general tips from the CDC and other public health resources.
Vaccines are even more important for those with weakened immune systems and other health conditions. Vaccines are proven to prevent serious outcomes for the illnesses for which they’re available.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis for COVID-19 may be available to you depending on the nature of your health conditions. Please speak to your doctor to see if this is an option for you.
Masking with an appropriately-fitted N95 mask offers more protection from airborne illnesses than other types of masks such as surgical masks or cloth masks.
For more detailed information on preventing infection for those with weakened immune systems, the latest CDC guidance can be found here.
Eat well
Your body, and by extension your immune system, likes to be well fed with nutritious food. Make sure you’re eating a healthy meal at least twice a day while at con.
Take your vitamins
If you don’t already, start taking multivitamins in the weeks leading up to the con, and continue to take them at con.
Food safety
That half sandwich left sitting out on Thursday afternoon won’t be your friend Sunday morning! When in doubt, throw it out!
Illicit Substances
Furry Weekend Atlanta has a strict policy against the possession, distribution or use of illicit substances at our event. We do not condone the use of any illicit substances.
We do, however, recognize the importance of harm-reduction education and we’d like to share some general harm-reduction tips and sources for more harm-reduction information below:
Know who you’re getting your stuff from.
If you can, get a drug testing kit. They can help you tell if what you have is real or if it has stuff in it you’re not expecting. These kits are often available free of charge from your local health department or harm-reduction resources that may be partnered with or present at various events.
Always have a babysitter! Really, have a sober friend there to hang out and watch you.
Don’t share paraphernalia.
Furry Weekend Atlanta cannot provide legal advice, however, we can share links to professional resources that detail the legal protections covering both opioid overdose victims and those who choose to render aid to these victims.
Links to the actual laws themselves are below. For more detailed information and explanations of these laws and their protections, we recommend you visit Georgia Overdose Prevention at: https://georgiaoverdoseprevention.org/
GA Code § 16-3-5 - “Georgia 911 Medical Amnesty Law” provides legal protections to both the overdose victim and those rendering aid.
GA Code § 26-4-116.2 - provides legal protection for all healthcare practitioners and any other person acting in good faith who administers Naloxone in the event of an opioid overdose.
More information from great local harm reduction organizations:
https://georgiaharmreduction.org/
Sexual Health
Test!
Get tested! Knowing your status will help you and your sexual partners make informed decisions. We’ve partnered with the Georgia Harm Reduction Coalition to offer free, rapid STI testing during Furry Weekend Atlanta! So if you’re unsure, come get tested before you have fun.
Wear a condom
It’s the most basic of sexual health tips, but seriously this is a huge help in staying safe!
For our friends engaging in sexual relations that don’t involve the body parts that condoms are used for, internal condoms, dental dams, and even gloves can help keep you safe!
Talk to the professionals!!
Talk to your doctor about your sex life! Seriously, we know it can be embarrassing, but there’s a lot of really useful medical information and medicines that doctors can prescribe to keep you healthy!
We even have sexual health professionals on location! Visit the Georgia Harm Reduction Coalition! They’ll be providing sexual health education along with their testing services.
Use The Potty
Go to the bathroom after. Seriously. UTIs suck and you don’t want one.